Everyone knows that F1 is 80% car and 20% driver. (Maybe even 95% car and 5% driver in the turbo-hybrid era). So yea, exploiting the rules and finding loop holes IS Formula 1 and should always be the top priority for the Team Principal and technical staff. (And team drivers if they have the brains for it…e.g. Schumi, Vettel, Prost, Alonso).

Toto has been in and around F1 for a long time and he knows how the game is played. He watched recently as the last Red Bull dominance with Adrian’s blown diffuser concept that got SEB and RB 4 Championships. (Poor Webber.) With the bottomless pit of money and brain power from Stuttgart, they developed the best PU by miles and in my opinion is how Merc has won the last 5 WCC. The PU had such a big step that no team was ever going to catch up. No matter how much they developed because Merc also never stopped. That winter test back in 2014 was what locked in those 5 WCC for Toto.

Until this year…

With Ferrari’s PU upgrades this year, Toto finally saw a worthy competitor. So of course, Toto should be concerned about next year. His main advantage is gone, and he is only left with the LH and a robot wing man. 2019 is by no means a lock for him. Also I think he needs to pay close attention to Red Bull with the Honda PU. We have heard this year from Gasly that Honda is making big steps and Horner has been paying close attention. They have a great driver line up next year with Max and Pierre (both hungry AF to get on the top step) and you know Newey is going to have the best aero package. (He always does when a new set of rules is introduced). Lastly, they have a B-team in STR to test all the Honda upgrades they need. (Side note, Merc should have put Ocon in the Williams, gave Claire a bunch of money and made it their B-team…time will show if this was a tactical mistake).

2019 should be a true 3-way fight for the title and Toto will have a hard time getting a good night’s sleep. He will have to be ruthless (i.e. Flavio style) to get the job done next year.

Charles Bradley from Motorsport.com wrote an interesting piece about Toto Wolff, Principal and CEO at Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team. Now, in my opinion, Toto is arguably one of the most successful team leaders of all time in F1, he is right to be afraid of the future. Who knows what is coming?? The rules change constantly, and the most powerful teams always prevail…or at least usually…

Toto’s argument is simply that Formula 1 is a game of finding the loopholes in the rules and exploiting the hell out of every single one of them. He argues that Ross Brawn’s team in 2009, when Jenson Button won the championship, was a small scrappy team that found such a loophole with the double diffuser and won the championship. Now….that is the same team (technically) that Toto runs. Yes Mercedes makes some amazing vehicles, and while some may argue some have too much torque for daily driving cars, those people are clearly idiots! So, Toto is currently running the team that Ross Brawn and Jenson Button won the Formula 1 World Championship with at Brawn GP. While they struggled during the first year or two, they have absolutely dominated F1 since the introduction of the Turbo Hybrid, winning five of five constructors championships. Oh, and Lewis Hamilton won four of those five.

Quick side bar.. While I’m not necessarily a huge fan of his, it is damn hard to argue that he isn’t the greatest driver of all time. I’m 100% sure that will infuriate even the most generous German fans who would say until he wins seven (or even eight) world drivers championships, that the argument is beyond sense (please refer to the title of this section). Check back next week for my opinion on why Lewis is the GOAT. His number two driver (even though they “don’t have a number 1”, ba-ba-ba-bullshit!) is none other than Valtteri Bottas. While Valtteri is one of the more likable drivers on the grid, he has been put in an unfair position following Nico Rosberg, who regularly challenged Lewis for wins. I believe we all remember the famous lap one incident at the Spanish Grand Prix in 2016. Valtteri is damn good driver, he is too much of a good guy/teammate/wingman to truly challenge Lewis.

So, two of the best drivers on his team with possibly the best car on the grid in 2018. Yes, maybe Ferrari had the better car, but their strategists are nowhere near Mercedes’s. Sorry, but it’s the truth. He also has Niki Lauda supporting him. Yes, Niki is an animal and will ruin your day. That’s why he is such a bad ass! An absolute superstar among children (yeah, I’m a pretty big Niki Lauda fan). So, what is Toto afraid of???

I know it sure as hell isn’t really Williams F1. Or is it??? While they have won a total of sixteen championships (nine constructors and seven drivers) since they began as a team under the legendary Sir Frank Williams, do they still have the potential to be that good under current Deputy Team Principal Claire Williams (Franks’ daughter)? The short answer is hell no! However, the moment we stop working harder and resting, we lose. Toto knows this. Could it be the rookie Brit George Russell? While he is promising, come on….

Or….

Is it the Polish bad ass driver, Robert Kubica??? Look, we all know that sauerkraut and pierogies are damn good and make you strong AF. Robert is coming back with a vengeance. Be prepared Toto…to sign a new contract for 2020.